Mathews will miss Jayewardene's guiding influence
It is paramount for new Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to make a
winning start to his captaincy career by winning the Two-match Test and
one-day international series against Bangladesh, beginning early next
month. The selectors picked the best available squad for the Test series
which included the experienced threesome of Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar
Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan. But now comes the news that
Jayewardene will be out of the entire series having sustained a fracture
of his middle finger in the left hand while playing for his club SSC
against NCC last week. While this is a major setback for Mathews, it
also brings home the reality that with captaincy comes a full quota of
unexpected challenges. Of all players the new captain would have been
eagerly looking forward to having the former captain with him for
guidance.
Learnt a lot from former skipper
Mathews while apprenticing under Jayewardene learnt a lot about what
captaincy is all about. Jayewardene was not only an example, he was a
shining example. With Mathews making his initial appearance, he would
have been looking to having Jayewardene to tell him how to adapt to
situations. In the absence of the former skipper, Mathews will have to
learn from experience. Experience is the best teacher it is said.
Jayewardene, now that he has relieved himself of the burden of
captaincy, would have been looking to give free reign to his wonderful
stroke play and add to his stature as one the leading batsmen in world
cricket.
Jayewardene who would have loved to figure in the series,
unfortunately suffered the injury to his bat hand. Had it been the right
hand he would have tried his best to play. But having the left hand
immobilized has ruled him out.Pity.
Cruel then that the cricketing gods deemed otherwise and he had to
get injured and miss probably the entire series against Bangladesh.
Mathews who will become the youngest captain to lead the country,
must set about his task with an open mind and not shy away from asking
those who know better. He will have two former captains with him in
Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan and he can always seek their
guidance when confronted with situations. Whatever the Sri Lanka squad
must get down to assiduous training. They must not take the Bangladeshi
cricketers as mere pushovers. They are set of gutty cricketers with the
upsetting ability in them. Their problem is that they like Pakistan
because they rarely play as a team. If they can battle as one force
could worry the Lankans.
Sports psychologist - Sanga's thoughts
We have always been advocating the use of a sports psychologist for
our cricketers. Most countries employ sports psychologists. Why Sri
Lanka Cricket does not believe in this beats us. Let's read former Sri
Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara's thoughts on this. 'Every single final
match we played, including the last Twenty20 World Cup, we were very
scared to admit that we were playing at the finals. Every time we had a
team meeting, we would tell ourselves to pretend we are playing just
another match. 'We were trying as a team to deny the obvious reality we
were playing in the World Cup, we were in the finals and if we won that,
we would be the world champions. 'I think the first thing that we have
to change is to accept the fact that we were playing in the World Cup
finals. Let's start, with that and put our hands up and say that there
is something wrong.
Let's get other people involved to find other reasons if there are
any. There's nothing bad that can come out of having sports
psychologist. We need to change attitudes, not just as players but as
administrators on the whole, since without that shift we cannot move
on'.
The South African cricketers led cleverly by Graeme Smith brushed
aside the Pakistanis to win the series 2-0 beating the visitors by four
wickets in the Second Test in Newlands in Cape Town with a day to spare.
The Pakistanis were stuffed in the First Test and before the Second
Test exuded confidence by saying they will come back fighting in the
Second Test. But though they fared better, it was not strong enough to
stall the South Africans from emerging victorious. The Third Test which
began on Thursday will also end in a victory for the home team, unless
the Pakistanis could raise their game from the basement and make it
their business to look for a consolation victory.
Pushing and urging
The Pakistanis are pushing and urging foreign teams to come to
Pakistan and resume Test cricket again. Pity that they have to play
their home matches on neutral venues. The rampaging South Africans who
are hugging the top spot in the Test rankings will cling on to that
position for a long time to come and no other team will begrudge them
this exalted spot.
The South Africans were in the game's wilderness for long because of
their inhuman apartheid policies, during which time they had some great
cricketers such as Tony Greig, Mike Procter, Eddie Barlow, Colin Bland,
Barry Richards, the Pollock brothers Peter and Graeme and several others
who could not stamp their class in big time cricket. But once freed from
that inhuman era, the South African cricketers bounced back with a
vengeance and great that after being back in the game for a short time
have risen to be the best in the world, in what the game is all about
TEST CRICKET.
The South Africans have not been in the big league for long. But in
that time that they have left countries such as England, Australia,
India, Pakistan and West Indies way behind is great and speaks volumes
for their dedication and commitment. With several outstanding cricketers
in their ranks now and led brilliantly by Graeme Smith, it will not be
easy for any other team to dethrone them from that exalted position.
By winning the series against Pakistan they will retain that top spot
and earn a whopping $450,000 for being number one. Previously the top
team earned only $175,000. The teams following South Africa will earn
$350,000, $250,000 and $150,000.
High class spin bowling
Watching the Test in Newlands, it was a treat taking in the high
class spin bowling by the hugely talented right arm bowler Saeed
Ajmal.Undaunted with his action being questioned, the spinner had a
match haul of 10 wickets. With a bagful of varying deliveries - with a
well disguised 'doosra' as the main wicket taking weapon, he simply
mesmerized the South African batsmen and that his haul could not help
Pakistan to victory was a travesty of justice. Many countries attempted
to stall and stunt him by questioning his action. But the men who matter
cleared his action saying it is natural and he was allowed to ply his
trade and today the game is seeing a genius of spin bowler baffling and
bemusing batsmen. With a spinner of spinners of the calibre of Ajmal in
their ranks, it is a pity that the Pakistani batsmen don't make it their
business to run up big totals and allow Ajmal the luxury of bowling with
more freedom.
The axiom is that spin bowlers are expected to buy their wickets. But
Ajmal has not had that luxury and is forced to bowl more in defence than
in attack, and not been able to spin the way he would like. Had he been
playing for countries like England, Australia or India which has strong
batters, Ajmal would have had a ship load of wickets and would have even
been tagged as better than the best known.It is time that the Pakistani
batsmen are told by their handlers or are made to realize the match
winner they have in Ajmal when other countries are crying to have
bowlers of Ajmal's talent and forced to run up big scores so as to allow
the wily bowler to spin his magic. For teams such as India and Pakistan
winning is not the thing it is everything. Losing is anathema to their
former cricketing greats and the cricket crazy public. With Pakistan
regularly on the losing side, it won't be long before coach Dav
Whatmore's coaching is questioned. Former opening batsman and ex coach
Mohsin Khan under whom the
Pakistanis had a dream run has accused the coaching staff for their
lack of planning to target South Africa's weakness.
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